Cutting drums for mineral mining machines

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to cutting drums for mineral mining machines, such as the type of machine used in mineral mining to drive a roadway and to cut a stable for advancing a longwall face. The drum which is mounted on a mineral mining machine for rotation on an axis normal to the direction of movement of the machine along a mineral face comprises a hub portion and a hollow cylindrical portion extending from a flange on the end of the hub portion, the cylindrical portion having cutting picks mounted around the free end portion thereof and series of cutter picks mounted in the form of at least one helix internally of the cylindrical portion which forms a trepanner cutter and at least one helical flange with cutting picks thereon extending radially from the free end of the cylindrical portion to the opposite end of the hub portion. The drum is movable in an arc from a lowered position to a raised position and movable into the mineral face to cut a circle of mineral by a trepanner action and movable along the face to cut mineral from the face.

Anderson 1 Feb. 27, 1973 CUTTING DRUMS FOR MINERAL MINING MACHINES [75] Inventor: Forrest Symington Anderson, Carluke, Scotland [73] Assignee: Anderson Mavor Limited, Lanarkshi're, Scotland [22] Filed: Sept. 13, 1971 [211 App]. No.: 179,663

[52] [1.8. CI. ..299/59, 299/71, 299/87, 1 299/90 [51] Int. Cl ..E21c 27/24 [58] Field of Search ..299/42-46, 87, 299/89, 80, 90, 64, 71,56, 57,59

[56] j 1 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,210,123 10/1965 Delli Gatti ..299/90 X 3,306,663 2/1967 Webster ..299/54 X 3,639,004 2/ 1972 Lockwood ..299/59 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 985,678 3/1965 Great Britain ..299/89 250,076 8/1969 U.S.S.R ..299/89 Primary ExaminerErnest R. Purser Att0meyl-Iauke, Gifford and Patalidis [5 7] ABSTRACT The invention relates to cutting drums for mineral mining machines, such as the type of machine used in mineral mining to drive a roadway and to cut a stable for advancing a longwall face. The drum which is mounted on a mineral mining machine for rotation on i an axis normal to the direction of movement of the machine along a mineral face comprises a hub portion and a hollow cylindrical portion extending from a flange on the end of the hub portion, the cylindrical portion having cutting picks mounted around the free end portion thereof and series of cutter picks mounted in the form of at least one helix internally of the cylindrical portion which forms a trepanner cutter and at least one helical flange with cutting picks thereon extending radially from the free end of the cylindrical portion to the opposite end of the hub portion. The drum is movable in an arc from a lowered position to a raised position and movable into the mineral face to cut a circle of mineral by a trepanner action and movable along the face to cut mineral from the face.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures CUTTING DRUMS FOR MINERAL MINING MACHINES This invention relates to cutting drums for mineral mining machines, such as the type'of machine used in mineral mining to drive a roadway and to cut a stable for advancing a longwall face.

Apparatus is already known which serves to drive a roadway or stall advanced in relation to a working longwall face. The known apparatus consists of a movable conveyor along the advanced face and over which a mining machine is movable back and forth. The mining machine is equipped with cutting drums arranged for rotation on an axis normal to the direction of travel of the machine and pivotable about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation. Two such cutting drums may be arranged on the machine one at each end of the machine.

It is also known to provide the cutting drums with picks arranged around the periphery thereof in the form of a helix so that mineral cut by the picks is conveyed along the drum surface to a conveyor. The face of the drums remote from the machine are also provided with picks to enable sumping of the drums in the direction of their rotational axis to cut a core out of a face of mineral.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved cutting drum for a mineral mining machine of the type referred to above in which the drum is movable in the direction of its axis of rotation to cut a circle of mineral from a face by a trepanner action and subsequently on movement of the machine along its conveyor to cut the core formed by the advance movement of the drum and also to cut along the face of the mineral.

According to the invention a mining machine cutter drum adapted to be mounted on a mining machine for rotation on an axis normal to the direction of movement of the machine along a mineral face, said cutter drum comprising a hub portion adapted to be mounted on a rotatable shaft and a hollow cylindrical portion extending from a flange on the end of the hub portion of greater diameter than the hub portion, said cylindrical portion having cutter picks mounted around the free end portion thereof, a series of cutter picks mounted on the inner wall of the cylindrical portion in the form of at least one helix each directed towards an aperture in the flange and in the wall of the cylindrical portion, said cylindrical portionforming a trepannercutter, at least one helical flange extending radially from the free end of the cylindrical portion to the end of the hub portion remote from the cylindrical portion and a series of cutter picks mounted along the edge of the or each helical flange.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which FIG. I is a side elevation of a cutter drum according to the invention and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the cutter drum of FIG. 1.

' FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the cutter drums mounted on a mineral mining machine of the type referred to;

FIGS. 5 to 7 illustrate the cutter drums mounted on a mineral mining machine of the type referred to and in which the machine is pivotally mounted on a sub frame.

Referring to the drawings 1 denotes a hub portion of a cutter drum, 2 is a flange extending radially from the hub portion 1. A cylindrical wall 3 extending from the flange 2 co-axial with the hub portion forms a hollow cylindrical portion and apertures 4 are formed in the flange 2 and wall 3 of the cylindrical portion.

Cutter picks 5 are mounted on the peripheral free end 6 of the cylindrical wall 3 and three helically formed radial flanges 7,8 and 9 extending from the free end 6 of the cylindrical portion to the end of the hub portion remote from the hollow cylindrical portion are provided with cutter picks 10 mounted on the edge portions of the radial flanges 7,8 and 9.

Three series of cutter picks 12, each in the form of a helix, are mounted on the inner surface of the wall 3 of the cylindrical portion, each helix being directed towards an aperture 4.

The helical flanges 7,8 and 9 each provide for removal of mineral cut from a mineral face.

The hollow cylindrical portion with its associated cutter picks 5 and 10 forms a trepanner cutter and the depth of the hollow cylindrical portion is substantially equal to the depth of the hub portion 1.

Although there has been described a cutter drum having three helical flanges 7,8 and 9 with cutter picks thereon, a greater or less number of helical flanges may be provided.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 7 cutter drums when in operation are mounted for rotation one on each end of a mineral mining machine of the type referred to above and laterally thereof and are adapted to be rotated by driving means on an axis normal to the direction of travel of the machine along a mineral face.

FIG. 3 illustrates a mineral mining machine 20 on an underframe 24 and movable along a conveyor 25 along a mineral mining face. Two cutter drums 21, 22 are mounted for rotation, one on each end of the machine 20. Each cutter drum is mounted on an arm 23 for movement about an are from a lowered position to a raised position. The drum 21 which is the leading drum, according to the direction of travel of the machine along a mineral face, cuts the mineral face at floor level while the trailing drum 22 is in a raised position and cuts the mineral face above the leading drum.

When the machine has traversed the mineral face the drums are moved into the mineral face in the direction of their axis of rotation to trepan into the mineral face a depth substantially equal to the depth of the hollow cylindrical portion of the drum. The lower drum 21 is raised and the upper drum 22 is lowered by the arms 23 to cut the mineral face. The machine is then moved along the mineral face with the drum 22 leading in the lowered position and the drum 21 in the raised position trailing as illustrated in FIG. 4 so that the drums cut mineral from the face as the machine moves in a direction normal to the rotational axis of the drums. The helical flanges 7,8 and 9 on the drums provide for removal of mineral cut from a mineral face and direct the cut mineral on to a conveyor.

The radius of a circle cut by the picks 10 on the edges of the flanges 7,8 and 9 is substantially constant throughout the length of the flanges.

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7 the mining machine 20 is pivotably mounted at 30 on an underframe 24 and hydraulic jacks 31,32 operatively connected to the underframe and to the machine 20 provide for pivoting the machine.

The operation of the machine is identical to that of FIGS. 3 and 4 but the pivotal movement of the machine provides for a greater arcuate movement of the cutter drums from a lowered position to a raised position so that a higher mineral face may be cut.

When the machine reaches one end of the mineral face as illustrated in FIG. 5 the cutting drums are moved in the direction of their axis of rotation into the mineral face to trepan the mineral face to cut a circle of mineral from the face. The machine 20 is then tilted or pivoted about its pivotal axis 30 to raise the drum 21 and lower the drum 22 as illustrated in FIG. 6.

At the end of the pivotal motion of the machine the arms 23 move the cutter drums about an arc to an extended lowered or raised position as shown in FIG. 7.

The machine is then moved along the conveyor in the opposite direction with the cutter drum 22 leading to cut mineral from the mineral face by means of helically arranged picks 10. The helically arranged picks l2 internally of the hollow cylindrical portion of the cutter drum cuts mineral from the core left after the drum has trepanned into the mineral face when the machine begins to traverse the mineral face.

The apertures 4 provide for removal of cut mineral when the drum trepans into the mineral face and when cutting the core left after trepanning into the face and the helical flanges removes the cut mineral and directs it on to the conveyor.

What is claimed is:

l. A mineral mining machine cutter drum adapted to be mounted on a mining machine for rotation on an axis normal to the direction of movement of the machine along a mineral face, said cutter drum comprising a hub portion, a flange on the end of said hub portion and a hollow cylindrical portion extending axially from the flange and of greater diameter than the hub portion, said cylindrical portion having cutter picks mounted around the free peripheral edge portion thereof and at least one row of cutter picks mounted on the inner wall of the cylindrical portion forming a helix and directed towards an associated aperture in the flange and the wall of the cylindrical portion, said cylindrical portion forming a trepanner cutter, at least one helical flange extending radially from the free end of the cylindrical portion of the end of the hub portion remote from the cylindrical portion and a series of cutter picks mounted along the edge portion of said helical flange.

2. A cutter drum according to claim 1 in which said cylindrical portion is substantially equal in length to the hub portion and three helical flanges extend along the length of the drum, three helical rows of picks are formed internally of the cylindrical portion each directed towards an associated aperture in the flange and cylindrical wall.

3. A cutter drum according to claim 1 in which the radius of a circle described by the picks on the edges of the flanges is substantially constant throughout the length of the flanges.

4. At least one cutter drum as claimed in claim I mounted for rotation on a mineral mining machine on an axis normal to the direction of movement of the machine along a mineral face, said drum or drums movable in an are about said axis of rotation and adapted to be moved in a direction parallel to said axis of rotation to cut a circle of mineral from said mineral face a depth substantially equal to the length of said cylindrical portion of the drum in a trepanning action and adapted to be moved by said machine along a mineral face to cut mineral from said face.

5. A mineral mining machine as claimed in claim 4 in which the machine is pivotally mounted on an underframe and on an axis normal to the direction of movement of the machine along said mineral face. 

1. A mineral mining machine cutter drum adapted to be mounted on a mining machine for rotation on an axis normal to the direction of movement of the machine along a mineral face, said cutter drum comprising a hub portion, a flange on the end of said hub portion and a hollow cylindrical portion extending axially from the flange and of greater diameter than the hub portion, said cylindrical portion having cutter picks mounted around the free peripheral edge portion thereof and at least one row of cutter picks mounted on the inner wall of the cylindrical portion forming a helix and directed towards an associated aperture in the flange and the wall of the cylindrical portion, said cylindrical portion forming a trepanner cutter, at least one helical flange extending radially from the free end of the cylindrical portion of the end of the hub portion remote from the cylindrical portion and a series of cutter picks mounted along the edge portion of said helical flange.
 2. A cutter drum according to claim 1 in which said cylindrical portion is substantially equal in length to the hub portion and three helical flanges extend along the length of the drum, three helical rows of picks are formed internally of the cylindrical portion each directed towards an associated aperture in the flange and cylindrical wall.
 3. A cutter drum according to claim 1 in which the radius of a circle described by the picks on the edges of the flanges is substantially constant throughout the length of the flanges.
 4. At least one cutter drum as claimed in claim 1 mounted for rotation on mineral mining machine on an axis normal to the direction of movement of the machine along a mineral face, said drum or drums movable in an arc about said axis of rotation and adapted to be moved in a direction parallel to said axis of rotation to cut a circle of mineral from said mineral face a depth substantially equal to the length of said cylindrical portion of the drum in a trepanning action and adapted to be moved by said machine along a mineral face to cut mineral from said face.
 5. A mineral mining machine as claimed in claim 4 in which the machine is pivotally mounted on an underframe and on an axis normal to the direction of movement of the machine along said mineral face. 